Caveat emptor, the legal concept in contract law, places the burden of due diligence on the buyer of any good or service. In the case of energy infrastructure, the complex jurisdictional and technology nuances demand that any buyer beware. This is why Allied Nuclear set out to strengthen the buy-side of nuclear energy projects as new entities around the world began to evaluate reactor technologies to meet clean energy goals.
Nuclear power provides a realistic solution to solve a systemic issue facing decision makers. They need an energy source that provides enough sustainable baseload electricity while reducing harmful emissions and meeting demands of a rapidly growing population. Forecasts show approximately 120-200 GW of nuclear capacity will be built over the next 20-30 years. State-owned entities from Russia and China are capitalizing on this demand for nuclear power, creating alliances in parts of the world that will shape geopolitics for the balance of this century.
Thorough, upfront planning is a powerful tool for guaranteeing that the countries embarking on nuclear energy programs bring the full range of benefits of nuclear energy to their constituents. Whereas the build-own-operation approach promoted by state-owned enterprises imposes both political and economic entanglement on host nations, Allied Nuclear offers an alternative by staying customer-driven and market-based. The team prepares clients for the long term by incorporating programs that reduce project risk and involve the local ecosystem – bolstering education, expanding employment and developing key skills. Ultimately, the program approach builds investment and procurement packages which develop best-in-class supply chains and provide end-to-end value. Partners commit throughout the life of projects to support continuous training, cooperation and integration of business objectives to benefit local communities.
The international civil nuclear marketplace, shaped by the U.S. and allied nations over decades, plays a vital role in ensuring superior standards for safety culture, governance and operational transparency. Interrelated treaties and norms ensure nuclear technology is used exclusively for peaceful purposes. Attention to detail is critical in this highly regulated sector and purchasing decisions on assets that will shape infrastructure for 80 to 100 years must be done responsibly.
The tangible Flexible Financing Approach is structured to secure long-term energy security relationships between countries and among businesses. Private financiers look to public agencies for supportive policies that recognizes public benefits of reliable, clean nuclear energy. Favorable policies can draw the $10 trillion in bond funds that is sitting idle in negative interest accounts into the marketplace to deploy clean energy systems.
A well-crafted commercial approach to nuclear new build can give certainty to stakeholders: government, regulators, communities, and investors. Respected private-sector executives with strong global networks understand the need for the preservation of sovereignty. This values-based approach to the design, construction and operation of a nuclear energy program formulates a long-term plan for infrastructure investment that defines better criteria for project finance that sustains programmatic gains and adds the competitive advantage of market-based solutions. This world-class partnership approach brings a high-level expertise model which is technology- and location-neutral and allows the right technologies, systems, and approaches to be matched to the needs of the client country.